Non-refillable bottle and valved stopper therefor



March 20, 1962 H. M. ROSS 3,025,987

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE AND VALVED STOPPER THEREFOR Filed May 16, 1960 INVENTOR fzerz ry/ZZ. 1705.9;

got/M ATTORNEYS nite tates This invention is a non-refillable bottle including a valved stopper designed to permit discharge of the contents of the bottle but precluding refilling of the bottle.

There have been many attempts to provide a satisfactory and practical non-refillable bottle but most of the previous attempts have resulted in stoppers too complicated for general use or including movable and/ or corrodible parts which rendered the devices undesirable in many fields of use.

With these factors in mind the valved stopper and nonrefillable bottle of the present invention are designed to provide a relatively simple construction, one readily adapted to ease of manufacture, and freedom from undesirable multiplicity of parts. To this end the valved stopper of the present invention includes a body of elastomeric material which may be molded in one piece and having at least one fluid flow passage therethrough which is controlled by a valve normally open but movable to a position to close the passage through the stopper body in response to expansion of a part associated with the valve when said part is wetted during a refilling operation.

The valve of the present stopper includes a laminated structure, generally flexible as a whole, and distortable when one of the layers of the valve body is wetted and expands relative to another layer thereof. A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein FIG. 1 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional view through the neck of a bottle provided with a stopper of the present invention and showing the parts in discharging position,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the bottle neck with a sealing cap attached thereto,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 1 showing the valve in closed position, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout, the neck of a conventional bottle is shown at 1. Within the neck of the bottle is mounted a stopper member indicated generally by the reference character 2 and comprising a body portion 3 of elastomeric material such as natural or synthetic rubber, plastic, or the like, and having a relatively low modulus of elasticity generally of the order of 5 10 p.s.i Preferably, but not necessarily, the neck of the bottle in the region to be occupied by the stopper 2 is provided with a constriction 4 to facilitate retention of the stopper body within the neck of the bottle and to preclude ready withdrawal thereof. Preferably the stopper is press fitted within the bottle neck.

The stopper body 2 is provided with one or more fluid flow passages 5 extending therethrough, said passages having inlet ports 6 at their lower or inner ends and discharge ports 7 at their upper ends. Preferably, the fluid flow passages 5 are arranged in annular series spaced about the longitudinal axis of the stopper as shown in FIG. 4. The upper end 8 of the stopper is disposed inwardly of the upper end 9 of the neck of the bottle as shown and a valve member indicated generally by the reference character 10 is centrally supported by the stopper body at the upper end thereof. The support 11 for the valve member 10 is arranged to position the valve in spaced relation to the upper end of the stopper body with the free marginal edge 3,025,987 Patented Mar. 20, 1962 12 of the valve member in spaced relation to the upper end of the stopper body and in inward spaced relation to the inner surface of the neck of the bottle. As shown, the peripheral edge 12 of the valve 10 is disposed to overlie an outer annular portion 12a of the stopper body circumscribing the outlet ports 7 so that said outlet ports are disposed beneath the body of the valve 10. This arrangement is clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, and as will appear, said annular portion 12a of the stopper functions as a valve seat for the valve.

The valve member 10 comprises a multi-layered disc portion including a lower layer or lamination 13 and an upper layer or lamination 14. Desirably, the lower layer 13 may be formed or molded integrally with the body of the stopper member 2 and the support member 11 where the stopper body is made of rubber, plastic or similar elastomeric non-absorptive material. The upper layer or lamination 14 is composed of a liquid absorptive material and is secured to the upper surface of the layer 13 in faceto-face contact therewith by cement, glue or any other similar means. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the multi-layered valve disc of absorptive and nonabsorptive materials is designed to flex due to relative expansion between the layers when the layer 14 of absorptive material is wetted. To facilitate the absorption of liquid by the layer 14 and to expedite its expansion and resulting flexure of the disc valve, means are provided for trapping liquid on the upper surface of the valve and such means is shown as an upstanding rib formation 15. The rib 15 is preferably continuous and encloses a substantial area of the layer 14 thereby more effectively to perform its function as described. Furthermore, the rib formation 15 extends upwardly slightly above the plane of the upper edge 9 of the neck of the bottle whereby it may be engaged by an enclosing cap member 16 (see FIG. 2) to effect a seal between said rib formation and the inner surface of the cap 16 as clearly shown in FIG. 2. If desired, the inner surface of the top portion of the cap 16 may be provided with a disc or layer of yielding sealing material such as cork, plastic, or the like 17. This eflectively seals the bottle against discharge of its contents, so long as the outer cap 16 is in place.

In operation, when the cap 16 is removed the position of the valve 10 with respect to the fluid flow passages 5 and their discharge ports 7 is shown in FIG. 1. In this position of the parts when the bottle is tilted, fluid may flow freely through the passages 5, beneath the valve 10 and the upper end 8 of stopper member and out of the open end of the neck through the annular space provided between the neck and the peripheral portion of the valve it). The upstanding rib formation 15 will preclude wetting of the liquid absorptive layer 14 during discharge of the bottle contents.

If an attempt is made to refill the bottle, however. portions of the liquid will become entrapped in the cup formed on the top surface of the valve 10 by the upstanding rib formation 15. This liquid will be rapidly absorbed by the layer of liquid absorptive material 14 with the re sult that said layer of material will expand relative to the non-absorptive layer 13, causing distortion and downward flexure of the laminated valve body to bring the peripheral edge 12 of the valve body into seating engagement with the annular portion 12a of the upper end 8 of the stopper body. Thus, as previously stated, the annular portion 12a of the stopper body functions as an annular valve seat for the peripheral edge of the disc valve 10 and this cooperation is clearly shown in FIG. 3 in which position the discharge ports 7 of the fluid flow passages 5 are efiectively closed against the ingress of liquid to the bottle.

The liquid absorptive material comprising the layer 14 on the upper exposed surface of the valve disc may be any aneasev suitable material having the necessary coeficient of expansion in response to being wetted by liquid. I have found edge-grain cut wood strips or wafers to serve ideally in this capacity, although various porous plastic materials are equally effective. In an operating form of the invention a wafer of edge-grain cut kiln-dried Ecuador balsa wood of approximately .030 to .040 .inch in thickness was found to function as described, as well as similar discs or waters of kiln-dried oak and hemlock wood.

The stopper of the present invention is devoid of metal parts, and with the exception of the adhered layer of liquid absorptive material on the upper face of the valve body, the stopper and valve assembly can be molded in one piece from elastomeric materials such as plastic, synthetic or natural rubbers and the like, thereby simplifying manufacturing procedure and insuring long trouble-proof life. It will be understood, of course, that the figures given as to the modulus of elasticity of the elastomeric material and as to the thickness of the wafers of liquid absorptive materials incorporated in the valve are not critical but are given by way of example only. While I have shown and described a desired form of the invention, those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will realize that various changes may be made therein in respect to size and proportion of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention which is defined more clearly in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A valved stopper for a bottle comprising a body member adapted to be fitted within the neck of a bottle and provided with at least one liquid flow passage therethrough, said liquid flow passage terminating in an outlet port, a flexible valve member of non-absorptive material carried by said stopper body and including a portion normally disposed in spaced relation to the outlet port of said liquid flow passage, a layer of liquid absorptive material secured in face-to-face relation to one face of said valve member to cause flexure of said valve member to close said outlet port when said layer of liquid absorptive material expands due to wetting.

2. The valved stopper of claim 1 wherein said valve member is in the form of a disc centrally supported from one end of said stopper body to provide a free marginal edge portion therefor disposed in spaced relation to said end of the stopper body, and wherein plural liquid flow passages are provided through said stopper body, each of said flow passages terminating in an outlet port underlying the disc valve.

3. The valved stopper described in claim 2 wherein the disc valve is provided with an upstanding continuous rib portion enclosing a substantial area of said layer of liquid absorptive material whereby to trap liquid therein and cause rapid expansion of said layer to flex the disc in a direction to closesaid ports. I

4. The valved stopper described in claim 1 wherein said layer of liquid absorptive material is a lamination of wood cut transversely of the grain thereof and mounted on the valve with the grain ends exposed.

5. The valved stopper of claim 3 wherein said stopper body, the non-absorptive layer of said valve, and said rib formation are integrally formed of elastomeric material.

6. A non-refillable bottle having a neck portion, a stopper body fitted within the neck portion of the bottle, a plurality of flow passages extending through said stopper body and having communication with the interior of the bottle at one end and terminating in discharge ports at the opposite end thereof, a flexible disc valve of non-absorptive material centrally supported from said stopper body and having a free marginal edge portion overlying in spaced relation the discharge ports of said fluid flow passages, an annular valve seat provided on said stopper body circumscribing the several outlet ports of the fluid flow passages, and a layer of liquid absorptive material secured to an exposed face of said disc valve member, said layer expanding in response to liquid absorbed thereby to cause said disc valve to flex into engagement with the valve seat, thereby to close said outlet ports.

7. The non-refillable bottle described in claim 6 wherein said disc valve is provided with a continuous upstanding rib formation enclosing a substantial area of said layer of liquid absorptive material whereby to trap liquid therein to expedite expansion of said material and flexure of said disc valve.

8. The non-refillable bottle described in claim 7 wherein said upstanding rib formation carried by the valve disc extends above the upper end of the neck of the bottle for sealing engagement With an enclosing cap adapted to be detachably secured to the neck of the bottle.

9. In combination, the non-refillable bottle described in claim 8 having an enclosing cap detachably secured to the neck of the bottle, said cap having an inner transverse surface in sealing engagement with the upper edge of the upstanding rib formation carried by the valve disc.

10. A hygroscopic valve for a ported bottle stopper comprising a flexible disc of superposed lamina of liquid absorptive and liquid non-absorptive materials respectively, said lamina being adhered together in face to face contact with one face of a lamination of liquid absorptive material exposed for wetting, said disc being adapted to flex and change shape when wetted and to resume its original shape when dry.

11. The valve described in claim 10 wherein the exposed lamination of liquid absorptive material comprises a disc of edge-grain cut wood.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,845,080 Kraft July 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 496,526 Canada Sept. 29, 1953 

10. A HYGROSCOPIC VALVE FOR A PORTED BOTTLE STOPPER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE DISC OF SUPERPOSED LAMINA OF LIQUID ABSORPTIVE AND LIQUID NON-ABSORPTIVE MATERIALS RESPEC- 